Gary Medel one of three players sent off after showboating in Santos v Vasco | OneFootball

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There were unsavoury scenes in the Brazilian Serie A match between Santos and Vasco de Gama on Sunday evening as it all kicked off between both sets of players in the second half. Santos welcomed Vasco to Urbano Caldeira Stadium with both sides struggling near the foot of the table and in serious danger of relegation. Vasco, despite their league position, had won three games in a row and were looking to extend that streak to four.

The away side could not continue that streak, though, as they were well beaten by Alvinegro. Marcos Leonardo gave the hosts the advantage in the 15th minute through the penalty spot, only for Pablo Vegetti to restore parity just after the half-hour mark. Santos rallied towards the end of the half and two quickfire goals from Tomas Rincon and Leonardo gave them a 3-1 lead going into the break.

Vasco would have been desperately hoping to get back into the game but their hopes of an incredible comeback were extinguished when Yeferson Soteldo made it 4-1 with 15 minutes remaining. There were no further goals as Santos held on to pick up all three points.

Melee erupts after showboating in Santos vs Vasco

It all kicked off between the two sides 10 minutes into the second half. With Santos 3-1 up, Soteldo decided he was going to have a bit of fun and mock his opponents. With no opposition player near him inside Vasco's half, the Venezuelan international thought it would be a wise move to showboat by standing on the ball.

His showboating, unsurprisingly, did not go down well with Vasco's players at all. Sebastián Ferreira charged over to close Soteldo down and sent him flying. It all then kicked off between the two sets of players as Santos players rushed to their teammates' defence. Former Inter Milan and Sevilla midfielder Gary Medel threw himself into the thick of things and could be seen making his displeasure known, while ex West Ham and Marseille star Dimitri Payet was also not happy.

After a melee that lasted around five minutes, referee Anderson Daronco handed out six cards; three yellow and three red. Medel, who has picked up many red cards throughout his career, was sent off, as were Santos pair Lucas Lima and Rodrigo Fernandez. Soteldo was given a yellow card for his showboating, Ferreira was given a booking for his foul and Vasco's João Paulo was also cautioned. View a video of Soteldo's showboating and the resulting scenes that followed below...

VIDEO: It all kicks off after showboating in Santos vs Vasco

To rub salt in Vasco's wounds, Soteldo found the back of the net later in the match to seal the home side's victory.

What next for Santos and Vasco?

Santos have leapfrogged Vasco in the table following their victory. They have accrued 27 points from their opening 25 games and are 15th in Serie A, one point better off and one position higher than Vasco. Vasco are next in action on Saturday October 7 when they host Sao Paulo at the Estadio São Januário, with Santos travelling to Palmeiras a day later.